Quote:
Originally Posted by vivaldirules
Considering the results of this poll, maybe we would be more honest with ourselves if the new Mobile Read tagline were something like: Mobile Read - Come here to learn how to read your pirated ebooks on the fly!
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I'm not sure how serious you were about this comment. It may just be cynicism caused by frustration. I can certainly relate to that. However, I do think it needs addressing, if for no other reason than that Google users see things out of context.
I really don't think that characterizes the community or its participants very accurately. Sure, there are some rather loud participants in some of the threads who at least appear to lean toward that characterization (though not necessarily, once context is taken into account), but I'm confident that the overwhelming majority do not. And while many of them remain silent because most DRM- and copyright-related threads become exceedingly distasteful in rather short order, they take the time and effort to at least pose a contrary view. That effort can be gut-wrenching, at times, and those who make the effort should be applauded, even if we don't agree with every aspect of their views.
I'm confident that the MobileRead site and its community overwhelming do not advocate pirating e-books or violating the rights of writers or those to whom they've assigned rights. There is no "us" and "them" in this issue, no matter how many misguided posters want to convince people of the contrary. Not all writers agree on these issues, nor do all publishers, nor do all e-book users. In fact, there are vast differences of opinion just within the ranks of editors that work for the large publishing houses.
Polls here only measure a self-selecting pool of participants. Many will ignore the entire thread simply because they know how it will go--how it's been going for at least a decade, at least. One can't be too quick to color an entire community over something like that, just as one can't be too quick to judge an entire person over an off-hand comment.